‘I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing-floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’      Matthew 3 : 11 - 12

This week’s reading : Matthew 3 : 1 - 12

Thought for the week

The message of John the Baptist is challenging in every generation. The call to return to the Lord’s ways of truth, justice and peace.

A call to repentance. Yet repentance is such a positive, healing thing. A move of the Holy Spirit to return to who we are made to be. Who we truly are.

The leaves have been tumbling from the trees this week as Winter sets in. Soon the branches will be bare. Yet we know the seeds, bulbs, roots safely in the ground will shoot again. Because of the Winter, Spring will be able to flourish and make new.

Jesus has won for us forgiveness and new life in Him. What do we need to rediscover in this season of Advent about who we truly are? How can we renew our awareness of being made in God’s image. What do we need to lay aside in others’ views of us, and the lies of the world? How can we reclaim the truth of being made in Jesus’ own image?

Repentance leads to faith and discovering the true treasure of Jesus’ Kingdom. Let us welcome the Holy Spirit in all He longs to do in our lives, and rediscover Jesus’ love and true freedom. 

Rev Paul

Prayer for this week

God let your justice and fairness flow like a river that never runs dry

Please help those of us who are rich to be honest and fair just like you, our God.

May we who have such abundance be honest and fair with all your people, especially the poor.

Let peace and justice rule every mountain and fairness flow as a river that never runs dry.

God let your justice and fairness flow like a river that never runs dry

May we your people defend the poor, rescue the homeless, and crush everyone who hurts them.

May we be as helpful as rain that refreshes the ground, to those who are treated unjustly.

Let the wholeness and fairness of your kingdom live forever like the sun and the moon.

God let your justice and fairness flow like a river that never runs dry

Because you our God, rescue the homeless and have pity on those who hurt

May we who are rich stand up for the poor and let peace abound until the moon fades to nothing.

Let God’s kingdom of justice and fairness reach from sea to sea, across all the earth.

God let your justice and fairness flow like a river that never runs dry

Amen.

Christine Sine’s Godspace website.

http://godspace.wordpress.com/2013/08/19/i-have-a-dream-a-prophetic-speech-now-50-years-old/